Successful removal of tumors from a patient's body requires an accurate evaluation of the excised tissue boundaries. To ensure that the entire tumor is removed, an adequate amount of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor is also extracted. The success of the surgery and the patient outcome is directly related to excision of the entirety of the tumor with an adequate healthy tissue boundary. This method is applicable to virtually all tumors in the human body. For example, this method is applicable to the removal of breast tumors (lumpectomy, quadrenectomy). Radical mastectomy was the mainstay of surgery for treatment of breast carcinoma until the 1970's when breast preservation surgery became an alternative. In the past two decades breast preservation surgery is chosen more and more by women. Successful removal of breast tumors requires an accurate evaluation of the removed tissue boundaries as described above.
In addition, accurate evaluation of the pathophysiology of tumor spread requires the dissection and analysis of lymph nodes.
To date, the demarcation of surfaces of tissue specimens (including tumors and nodes) may be performed by the surgeon after resection. The surgeon generally may attach to the surfaces of a tissue specimen sutures of various lengths which include various knots. The various lengths and knots of each suture convey to the pathologist the orientation of the gross pathology specimen in the patient's body. Unfortunately, this process is rarely performed because it is time consuming and requires detailed oral and/or written communications between surgeons and pathologists which often result in frustrations between the two professionals.